MUMBAI: The Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra is likely to lift restrictions on the Central Bureau Of Investigations (CBI) probes in the state. The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government had imposed restrictions on the CBI, which required the central agency to seek the state government’s approval to initiate a probe.
According to sources, Chief minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had a series of meetings over lifting restrictions on the central agency. The Maha Vikas Aghadi move had come a day after the CBI registered an FIR in the TRP scam, allegedly involving a television news channel.
The Mumbai Police, which registered the case on October 8, 2020 was conducting a probe into the matter. The CBI on Tuesday took over the investigation based on an FIR filed in Uttar Pradesh. According to the sources, the restriction is expected to be lifted soon by the new government in a cabinet meeting.
There are at least seven states at present which have withdrawn general consent to the CBI, requiring the agency to seek case-specific permission. These states include Mizoram, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Jharkhand. Most of these states are Opposition-ruled states
The CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DPSEA). This law makes the CBI a special wing of the Delhi Police and thus its original jurisdiction is limited to Delhi. Therefore, the consent of the state is very crucial to carry out the probe. Some states have given natural consent while reserved rights with them.